The present invention relates generally to bag dispensers and, more particularly, to stacked plastic bag dispensers.
The use of promotional items has proliferated in today""s increasingly competitive marketplace, where companies are constantly seeking more effective and new ways to market their products. In the healthcare industry, physicians and other healthcare providers often receive promotional articles from vendors of healthcare-related products, such as pharmaceutical products. These promotional articles often include xe2x80x9ceverydayxe2x80x9d items, such as writing pads, calendars, containers, and pens that have promotional information (indicia) printed thereon. For example, pharmaceutical companies often provide physicians with writing pens having the name of a particular pharmaceutical product printed thereon with the hopes that the pens will help remind the physicians to prescribe the particular pharmaceutical product.
In addition, physicians and other healthcare providers often receive samples of various pharmaceutical products which they give to patients. These samples are often carried by patients via plastic bags similar to those utilized by retail establishments. Unfortunately, devices that have been developed for use in dispensing plastic bags are geared more towards retail establishment use and can be somewhat bulky and expensive. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide plastic bag dispensing devices that could be utilized easily by physicians and other healthcare providers and that are distinctive and effective in promoting products.
In view of the above discussion, bag dispensing apparatus that are distinctive and that can be effective in promoting products are provided for use by physicians and other healthcare providers. According to embodiments of the present invention, a bag dispensing apparatus includes a clamp and a clip configured to retain a plurality of plastic (or other) bags in stacked adjacent relationship. Each bag has a receptacle portion that is separable from a respective header portion via perforations therebetween. A user grasps the receptacle portion of a bag and pulls to separate the receptacle portion from the header portion which is retained within the clip.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the clamp includes a base member and a retaining member that is movably secured to the base member via hinges for pivotal movement about an axis thereof. The base member has opposite front and rear surfaces and a forward edge portion. A plurality of spaced-apart posts extend from the front surface adjacent the forward edge portion.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the retaining member has opposite front and rear surfaces and opposite forward and rear edge portions. According to embodiments of the present invention, the base member has a generally planar configuration and the retaining member has a generally arcuate configuration. The rearward edge portion of the retaining member may have an arcuate configuration that facilitates a user pressing thereon to separate the forward edge portions of the base and retaining members. A spring element is configured to bias the retaining member about an axis such that the retaining member forward edge portion is urged towards the base member forward edge portion.
The clip has a U-shaped configuration with adjacent, spaced-apart first and second panels that are configured to receive and retain header portions of a plurality of bags in stacked adjacent relationship positioned therebetween. The first and second panels each comprise a plurality of spaced-apart apertures. The respective apertures in the first panel are aligned with the respective apertures in the second panel so as to removably receive the respective plurality of spaced-apart posts extending from the base member front surface therethrough such that the clip is removably secured to the clamp.
When the clip is positioned within the clamp such that the posts are engaged with the apertures in the first and second panels of the clip, the base member forward edge portion and the retaining member forward edge portion are configured to grip the header portions of the plurality of bags adjacent the clip. Gripping by the forward edge portions of the base and retaining members helps retain the header portions of the bags within the clip when a user applies a force to a bag to separate a receptacle portion from a respective header portion.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the base member may have one or more apertures formed therein that are configured to support the bag dispensing apparatus on a surface. The base member may also include a magnet attached to the rear surface thereof that is configured to removably secure the bag dispensing apparatus to a magnetically attractive surface. According to embodiments of the present invention, promotional indicia may be provided on one or more portions of the clamp and/or clip. In addition, promotional indicia may be provided on portions of the bags.